School Shooting Survival Training is Focus of New VR Game

January 11, 2018

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is developing a virtual reality video game that seeks to train school teachers how to navigate an active school shooter situation. Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment, or EDGE, creates different scenarios for teachers to assume various roles and experiences using real-life examples from recent shooter tragedies. What sets this immersive experience apart from other emergency training strategies is teachers are able to play the role of the shooter as part of the training exercise. “The more experience you have, the better your chances of survival are,” explains Tamara Griffith, one of the game’s chief engineers.